COVID recovery (long COVID)
On this page
The COVID Recovery service and long COVID clinic.
While most people recover quickly from coronavirus (COVID-19), some people may have ongoing symptoms. These can last for a few weeks or longer. This has been referred to as long COVID.
Important: Contacts
- phone 01408 664 074
- email nhsh.covidrecovery@nhs.scot
Based at Raigmore Hospital (Inverness).
Our team
- Linda Currie - Clinical Lead (part-time)
- Hannes De Kock - Clinical Psychology and Team Lead (part-time)
- Andrea Douglas - Rehabilitation Physiotherapist (part-time)
- Susan Walker - Occupational Therapist (part-time)
- Janet Scott - Physician (1 day/week)
- Carolyn Forsythe - GP (1 day/week)
- Linda O’Brien - Administrator (part-time)
Definition
A definition of long COVID from the World Health Organisation:
Long COVID, also known as post-COVID-19 condition: the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation.
From the Office of National Statistics (ONS):
In the UK, it is estimated that approximately 2 million people (3% of the population) experience long COVID, 3 times the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis. About 10% of individuals who have had COVID-19 develop long COVID.
Recent news
NHS Scotland Service Evaluation of Long-COVID Services
Patient information meeting
A long COVID information meeting for NHS Highland patients was held on 7 February 2024 - view or download the presentation slides from this meeting:
News and research from NHS Highland's COVID Recovery service (February 2024) (pdf)
The COVID Recovery service advocates for testing all long COVID patients for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) with a NASA lean test. This is on the basis of research we have contributed to via the LOCOMOTION study:
- LOCOMOTION - Long COVID Study
- Prevalence of orthostatic intolerance in Long COVID clinic patients: a multicentre observational study
In order to allow all of our rural patients access to this, we have developed a home testing protocol (see NASA lean test link below).
Press article
NHS Highland GP: Long Covid gave me crippling fatigue and brain fog - from The Inverness Courier, 15 March 2024
Recommended resources
- C19-YRS - a self-management platform for long COVID rehabilitation
- PoTS UK - Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) can be a life-altering and debilitating health condition
- Sleepio - a digital sleep improvement programme based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- NHS Scotland Long COVID Workbook (pdf, November 2023) - information on techniques to self-manage the most well-known and common long COVID symptoms
- Instructions on how to carry out a NASA lean test (pdf, November 2023).
Important: Long-term effects of COVID-19 (long COVID)
Information and support if you have ongoing symptoms after coronavirus:
- what is long COVID?
- signs and symptoms of long COVID
- assessing long COVID symptoms
- your recovery
- long COVID patient booklet
- support for unpaid carers
- signs and symptoms
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